The Caretaker Federal Cabinet has approved the summary regarding the restructuring of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), well-informed sources told ProPakistani.
Sources told ProPakistani that today’s cabinet meeting chaired by caretaker PM Anwaarul Haq Kakar approved the report compiled by the inter-ministerial committee formed to deliberate on the FBR restructuring.
The tax machinery will be restructured as per the recommendations of the report to enhance its efficiency and functionality, sources added.
As part of these reforms, the Federal Tax Policy Board will be established within the Revenue Division. This board will play a crucial role in formulating the country’s tax policy, setting revenue targets, and fostering collaboration among stakeholders, with the Finance Minister serving as its head.
In the revamped structure, Customs and Inland Revenue will be independently led by Director Generals of their respective cadres, granting them comprehensive authority over administrative, financial, and operational affairs. Both Directors General are tasked with ensuring the adoption of international best practices related to digitization, grievance redressal, and transparency within their organizations.
Distinct Oversight Boards for Customs and Inland Revenue will be formed, comprising members such as Federal Secretaries of Finance, Revenue, Commerce, Chairman of NADRA, and experts from relevant fields. The Finance Minister will preside over these boards, with a clear directive from the Prime Minister to avoid conflicts of interest in appointing private sector experts.
This comes after Friday’s session of the inter-ministerial committee chaired by Finance Minister Dr. Shamshad Akhtar where members discussed in detail the proposed restructuring of FBR including the concerns raised by top management of the tax regulator.
Recently, a few officers of the IRS petitioned the Chief Election Commissioner to take notice of illegal and untimely action on FBR restructuring. The IRS officers at the time complained that the caretaker setup had no mandate to take major statutory changes.
They warned that making a decision, just before the general elections, will have far-reaching implications.
The caretaker finance minister in last week’s committee meeting took notice of concerns expressed by officers of the IRS and incorporated related recommendations in the summary, which the cabinet approved today.
